Falling for a Criminal
by silverdragon917
Summary: Sakura's life is saved by a mysterious stranger, and in return she promises to help him. Little does she know that the one who saved her is Itachi, and his request is far from innocent. What will happen when Itachi pulls Sakura into his world for a moment? Will they finally find what they've been missing? Lemons eventually. Prequel to "Vacationing with a Criminal Temporary Hiatus
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Omg first chapter of the prequel for Vacationing with a Criminal! I'm so excited to be starting this, you have no idea. I personally think that I've had a stroke of genius with this story, but whatever that's for you guys, the readers, to decide. This is rated M, for reason that I'm sure you know by now if you've read my other Itachi/Sakura fics, but in case you haven't, the reason would be lemons, not exactly in this chapter, but definitely in later ones.**

**On another note, thanks to all of my readers who encouraged me to write both a prequel and a sequel to Vacationing with a Criminal, I love you all and thanks again. I'll start on the sequel as soon as I'm done with this, so there may be a bit of a wait in seeing what happens.**

**Anyways I hope you enjoy this story and don't forget to read Vacationing with a Criminal if you already haven't. Please review!**

**silverdragon**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, not Naruto, not the characters. I do own the plot though, I think…**

Chapter 1 Strange Meeting Places

Sakura didn't know how she had gotten into this position, but at the moment that didn't matter, she was stuck and couldn't get out.

It had all started with a simple mission to retrieve an artifact that had been stolen from the Leaf Village. She'd been on a team with Naruto and Kakashi again, there team had never been properly filled out sense Sasuke left, but they worked well together, so have an extra hand wasn't really needed. Except in this case. They'd managed to gain possession of the object, but they'd run into cross fire on the way back to the Leaf Village. Apparently some enemy shinobi thought that trying to jump their team was a good idea, and with one less man on her team, they had to rely on skill and force instead of the numbers that they would've usually had.

Sakura had been told to go ahead with the artifact, and protect it at all costs. She was the weakest of the group, so it stood to reason that she would be the one to go ahead and leave the fighting to the two more experienced shinobi. She hadn't been paying very much attention to where she was going, all she wanted to do was get away, and do at least one thing right on this mission. However her lack of focus on where she was going had led her into an obvious trap. Currently she was sitting at the bottom of a large pit, similar to traps used to hunt wild animals, just waiting for whatever happened next. She was like an animal led to slaughter, unable to climb up the sides of the pit because her chakra levels were too low to allow for any chance of escape. She'd have to wait and hope that Naruto and Kakashi found her first, which was looking less and less likely as time went on.

So she sat down on the earthen bottom of the pit. Trying to climb the walls would only use up more of her limited chakra, something she couldn't afford to lose at the moment. She tried to meditate, hoping that by doing so she could at least have the energy to fend off an attack if needed, and focusing her mind on the sounds she could hear coming from the top of the pit.

She heard hasty footsteps coming from a little distance off, and she quickly stood up and took a defensive position. There really wasn't much she could do if it was an enemy, but she could at least try and make it harder for them. The attack arrived before she even saw her advisory, a kunai thrown at her head that she barely managed to dodge. Apparently one of the enemy shinobi had decided to circle back and check their trap, and of course Sakura was a sitting duck. She managed to avoid the first few kunai, but when a bomb tag was thrown with one she didn't have anywhere to run, so she was forced back against a wall of the hole, her face digging into the dirt.

She tried, in vain, to think of a way out, but could only see one outcome, and it wasn't positive. Eventually one of the kunai would find its mark and that would be the end, she would no longer be able to fight, and ultimately she would die in this hole. Unless some form of divine intervention saved her she was trapped with no way out. She silently prayed that someone, anyone, would come and help her, but her silent please went unanswered, and she finally resigned herself to her fate.

Knowing that she probably wasn't going to make it out of this alive she said her goodbyes, to everyone she'd ever really cared about, "Naruto, you're annoying as hell, but you always manage to make things better, and when Sasuke left you were there to help me piece myself back together again. Kakashi, I couldn't ask for a better sensei, you've helped me in so many ways, helped me become a better Shinobi. Lady Tsunade, your guidance allowed me to not be a burden to anyone, and I can now help my friends when they need it. Sasuke, even though you're an asshat, you showed me that sometimes your friends can hurt you the most."

There wasn't time to add anymore, because at that moment a kunai flew and slashed at her carotid artery, sending rapidly growing spurts of blood into the air. Sakura clamped her hand around the wound, feeding chakra into her hands, trying desperately to stop the bleeding. While her mind started to go fuzzy and the world began spinning, the other shinobi jumped down into the hole, taking the artifact from her bag and looking down at her.

He pulled another kunai, fully intent on ending her miserable life, but put it away when he saw the state she was in, "I don't even have to finish you off, with that wound you'll be dead in a few minutes."

With that he jumped out if the hole, using chakra to amplify his jumps against the walls. At that point Sakura gave up, she clung desperately to life and tried to stop the bleeding, but it was no use, and she knew that, so she let herself cry in the last few moments of her life.

Tears streamed down her face as she thought of her friends, the very people who had helped and protected her throughout her life. Why was she never strong enough to help herself, let alone other people? Why was she always a burden, no matter where she went? She couldn't deny that in that moment she hated herself, for not being able to do what had to be done. For lacking the will power to not give up.

She sat there for a few minutes, she'd stopped the bleeding enough that she wasn't going to die right away, but unless she got help soon she'd be gone. Thinking about all the times that she'd failed, both as a person and as a shinobi, she couldn't help but laugh a little bit. So many times she'd had others tell her that it wasn't her fault, but inside she knew it had always been.

When Sasuke left, it was her that had been unable to keep him in the village, not Naruto or Kakashi, but her. She'd been there, and had to live with that fact everyday while Naruto continued talking about how they were going to bring him back. It made her feel terrible that it had all been her fault to begin with, but now she could never make amends.

"I'm sorry Naruto, Kakashi, Lady Tsunade, everyone..." she whispered as she slowly faded into unconsciousness. Before she passed out she heard footsteps come to the very edge of the pit, but she didn't have the energy to look up and see who it was. So she just lay there, idly wondering if it was another enemy shinobi, coming to finish the job and make sure she was dead.

"What do we have here?" A masculine voice asked from the top of the pit, his voice filled with a smirk that Sakura couldn't see. He circled the pit for a time before jumping down, "Looks like an injured kunoichi of the Leaf Village, you'll do nicely."

He lifted her head up ever so slightly, causing some blood to seep from the partially healed wound, and she finally got to see his face. His face was very similar to someone she knew, but she couldn't place where she'd seen it before. "He looks, familiar." Was her final thought before she slipped into unconsciousness.

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Itachi's eyes lighted on the girl in his arms, she would be perfect for his mission. Although he could tell right away who she was, he didn't care. They say the fall from grace can be an amazing ride, and who was he to deny the Hokage's little apprentice the thrill. All he had to do know was convince her to help, which he didn't think would be that hard, he'd just have to play his cards right.

That and he had to make sure that the girl survived the night. Sure she may have partially healed herself, but in all honestly, with all the blood she'd lost, that possibility of her surviving was going downhill rapidly. At least the worst was over.

Itachi smirked, this was going to be a fun ride.

**A/N: So what did you think? Don't worry I'll flesh everything out in the chapters to come. Just be patient my dearest readers.**

**I hope you enjoyed, and please review, it would make me very happy.**


	2. Chapter 2 Waking Up

**A/N: Second chapter is now up. I feel really bad that it took me so long to write this up, I know exactly where I want this to go, it's just that I haven't really found the time to actually write. Once again I'm sorry, and my excuses are terrible, so I'll just let you get on to reading.**

**Please enjoy the chapter and review.**

**silverdragon**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters.**

Chapter 2 Waking Up

All that Sakura could see was darkness, which confused her for a moment. This wasn't what dying felt like was it? Where was the light at the end of the tunnel? There was that and the prevailing ache in her body, almost as if she wasn't dead, but very much alive. She could feel a nice warmth surrounding her, something was obviously heating one of her sides, because her front was much warmer than her back.

Either way, she felt very comfortable, and didn't want to wake up, for fear that this was all just a dream. She didn't want to find herself down at the bottom of that pit again, that was for sure. So as she slowly forced her eyes open, she was surprised to see a cheery fire that was roasting her front side quiet thoroughly. She also noticed the trees surrounding her position on the ground, not the earthen sides of the pit she'd been in.

Finally feeling comfortable enough to sit up, she was hit by a spell of dizziness until she relented and placed her head back on the ground. She reached a hand up to inspect the wound that was surely there on her neck, but found that it had been bandaged by someone who obviously had some skill treating wounds. Even so, she could feel the slight wetness of the bandage, and when she brought her hand into eye sight she saw a small crimson stain on her fingers.

She hadn't stopped the bleeding completely, which was the reason why she felt so lightheaded at the moment. Taking quick mental stock of her body Sakura realized that the only real injury to her person was the slash in her neck, which had been taken care of by some unknown person. She couldn't sit up to look around, so she waited patiently for her savior to make themselves known.

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Itachi was sitting underneath a tree, waiting patiently for the pink haired girl to wake up so he could finally get what he wanted. He took the time to replay the events of the night in his head, from the moment he saw the girl running through the woods, to when he threw the kunai that had nearly taken her life, and finally to the moment when he rushed in to save her, realizing who she was only after he'd already made his choice.

Yes he was the one who had thrown the kunai that had pierced Sakura's neck, the one who had almost caused this young girl to die. It really wasn't his fault though, the ninja that was attacking her was taking far too long, and so he'd thrown a kunai of his own into the mix. Itachi had fully expected it to hit her, his training gave him ridiculous accuracy, but he had aimed for the torso, somewhere in the stomach region, not for the girl's neck. Sadly she had bent over to dodge a couple of shuriken, and had taken the kunai to, honestly, the worst place possible not including the heart.

Even so, the injury served his purpose, he just needed her to stop fighting long enough for that idiot to take what he wanted and leave. The other members of her team, that damn Copy-ninja and the Nine-Tailed brat had been on her trail when the other ninja left, and his window of opportunity had been short.

He'd stopped the bleeding just enough to transport her, making sure not to jostle her too much on their journey back to his makeshift camp. When he finally got there he had time to actually look at and take care of the wound. Now he waited, his plan required her to be conscious, and he needed her to agree to his terms of her own free will. Sure he was going to get her cooperation under false pretenses, but once he got her to agree it wouldn't matter anymore.

He needed her for a mission, well not necessarily her, he just needed a kunoichi who could carry out the mission properly, and Sakura just so happened to be in the right place at the right time. It was sad, really, that the girl couldn't protect herself, but she did have the perfect skill set for the mission he was currently on. In all honesty, he could've picked up any girl off the street and used her as cover for this mission, but she would only be baggage that would have to be disposed of as soon as the mission was complete. As they say, no loose ends.

However by enlisting a shinobi, a kunoichi of the Leaf Village, and the Hokage's apprentice, he could easily get away with letting her go as soon as everything was over. Saying that he had been overpower or outsmarted by a fellow shinobi was much easier to believe then a tale about how some ignorant women tricked him and escaped. Although he was a member of the Akatsuki, he didn't like taking another's life as much as one would believe. If there was a way to get rid of all the loose ends without killing anyone, then that was the option he was going to take.

This stupid concept of mercy, something he was never allowed to give before, by order, became something that he would readily use given the chance. He didn't want to be a bad person, it just that circumstances and fate led him to a life that he would've rather not had. He'd made the best of it though, gaining high rank within the Akatsuki and waiting for the one day that his brother would finally claim his life.

Itachi sighed and shook his head, looking around at the small clearing for anything out of the ordinary. His eyes came to rest on the fire, and as he watched the flames dance he heard a sound coming from the body that had been lying on the ground, silent, for a good four hours. The girl was finally awake, and his plan of deception could finally begin.

He let the pink haired girl get her bearings for a moment, watching as she tried to sit up, only to lie back down again when she realized how much blood she'd lost. Itachi just sat against the tree for a few minutes more until he deemed it appropriate to make himself known. Standing up he notice her ears perk at the sound and her body tense in preparation for an attack of some kind.

Before coming into her field of view, he figured it would probably be a good idea to calm her down, so he started talking slowly and soothingly, "I'm not going to hurt you, I'm the one that bandaged your wounds. I'm going to come over and check the bandages, so please don't do anything rash."

He walked over to where she lay, being careful not to step on her, and knelt down on the ground next to her head. He focused on the wounds, looking under the bandages to see that the bleeding had pretty much stopped. He replaced the bandage, and was startled when the girls hand shot up and grabbed his.

"How bad is it? I can tell that I've lost a lot of blood, and that the bleeding has basically stopped, but what does the cut look like? I'm not going to survive the blood loss only to die of infection." Her tone was very professional and businesslike, but there was a hint of fear behind the words.

Itachi checked the wounds again, and upon finding them to be a pinkish color he breathed a sigh of relief, "They're fine, a little red and pink, but other than that there's nothing."

He heard the girl exhale slightly, relaxing now that any immediate danger was out of the way. When he looked into her face, he noticed that her eyes were shut, and that she was obviously concentrating on something. So he waited patiently, wanting her to respond, but afraid that she was doing something important to her healing process, she was a medic-nin after all.

His eyes traveled to her neck again, a small pang of some lost and unknown feeling going through him. It was gone in an instant, but Itachi knew that it was something he'd only experienced a handful of times before. It wasn't sorrow necessarily, and it wasn't pain, he was very accustomed to both of those, but it was something different. Remorse, perhaps, or maybe guilt? He shook the thoughts away, it would do no good to think of such trivial things while his mission hung in the balance.

He felt a pair of eyes on him, obviously watching his face for something, so he turned and looked straight into stunning emerald eyes. The world seemed to freeze for a moment as he fell into the twin forests that were Sakura's eyes.

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His eyes were as black as onyx, and reminded her of a dark pit, going on forever with not even a hint of light. They were captivating, powerful, and mysterious, so pulling in their force that Sakura couldn't look away. The twin pools of darkness held her, showing so much more than the expressionless face they belonged to. They told a story of pain and suffering, a tale of someone who had lost his place in the world.

Sakura felt a strange sort of pity for this man that she didn't even know, and no matter how hard she tried the emotion wouldn't go away. The man looked as though he was searching for something in her eyes, and she could tell that the emotions in her eyes were as easy to read as a book. There was fear, yes, but it seemed overshadowed by a fierce curiosity. Who was this man, and why had he saved her? Was it some sense of duty, or pity? Either way, they were both here now, and she would have her answers before they departed on their separate ways once more.

All of this thinking happened in a fraction of a second, and when they broke eye contact, Sakura could feel herself start to blush. There really was no reason for it, but they had shared a moment that could never be taken back, and something had seemed to click within their minds. Even so she wanted her answers, so she dived right into questioning the strange man.

"Who are you? Why did you save me? Where did you come from? And where the heck are we?" She wanted to say more, but a finger to her lips stopped the torrent of questions.

"Slow down, I'll answer all of your questions in due time. First off my name is Itachi, my last name is not important. Second, I saved you because it was the right thing to do. Third, I was on my way to a village when I noticed your struggle and decided to help you. And finally, we're in the woods, somewhere in the Land of Fire, probably closest to the northern border. If there are any more questions, could you please wait until we've eaten something? I'm starving, and you need to eat to combat the blood loss you suffered." Itachi had learned long ago that sometimes the best lies are half-truths, which was what he'd just done. He hadn't been lying about his name, he just gave part of it, and their location was also a truth, but that was a far as it went.

Itachi stood up and set about cooking some kind of stew on the small fire, adding things here and there from his pack. What Sakura couldn't understand was why they were in the middle of the forest, and not in a village somewhere. After thinking about it for a minute, the thought process of her rescuer became a little clearer. She'd obviously been bleeding very heavily, so the man's first instinct was to get her out of harms way, the next thought would be to dress her wounds and make sure she didn't die of blood loss. He wouldn't really be thinking about going all the way to a village with such a severely injured women, so he'd set up camp until she was strong enough to be taken to a village and treated properly.

Apparently thinking about it was too much for her brain at the moment, and as the world started to spin again she closed her eyes, willing it to stand still for a moment. When she opened her eyes again she saw the man, Itachi, watching her every move with a kind of curiosity. There was no doubt in her mind that he wanted something for saving her, but she just couldn't figure out what. In time, it seemed she would find out.

**A/N: Another chapter is done, and hopefully the next one won't take as long for me to write. Please review and tell me what you thought.**


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